Because
by Kamasa Chan
Summary: Kaitou Kid was a magician. But even magicians can't stop the wind. Kaito/Aoko


_Disclaimer-- Detective Conan, Magic Kaito, and all related subjects are property of Gosho Aoyama. I simply rent the stuff for 0.75 an hour, so I try to write fast, but this explains why I never have any money... _

* * *

"Tonight, definitely! Yes, definitely tonight," Aoko stated happily as she walked, swinging her satchel around in a circle.

Beside her, Kaito snorted. "Keep dreaming, Aoko. It'll never happen on _any_ night, and that includes tonight," he replied.

"Why not?" Aoko complained. "Why are you so against it, Kaito? Why are you so sure that my father will never catch Kaitou Kid?"

"Because," Kaito answered, "KID is just too good." He flashed Aoko a smile, dazzling her briefly. "Your father is a good detective, but KID is a better thief."

Aoko scowled at her best friend. "Geez, you and your 'I-support-Kaitou-Kid-with-all-I-have-to-offer' talk. You know, most of his fans are girls," she pointed out. "I'm starting to believe you're becoming a rabid fangirl yourself. Hey, are you taking my place because I'm a girl who doesn't like Kaitou Kid?"

Kaito laughed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I still support Kaitou Kid. He's a thief, but he has a strong sense of… honor. He always does good things with the stuff he steals, like he gives it back or just drops it somewhere convenient for people like your father to find, but the one thing that he will never, _ever_ steal is a life."

"Whatever. But something he will probably steal is my father's job," Aoko moaned. "Dad will be fired if he can't catch KID soon." She hung her head and walked silently. Kaito felt a stab of guilt in seeing his friend so depressed like that. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't stop being KID until he found the Pandora gem. He couldn't…

"Hey, Aoko," he started to say, but a group of televisions in the store window they were passing by began blaring.

"In just a few hours the famous thief Kaitou Kid will be stealing the Starlight Tears jewel from Beika museum!" the announcer shouted in excitement. "Will Inspector Ginzo Nakamori finally catch him, or will it be another successful heist for KID? If Nakamori does fail yet again, it may mean the end of his career!"

"Ah, Kaitou Kid is everywhere now," Kaito sighed with a hint of amusement in his voice. "That must make you really mad, right Aoko? Aoko?" He turned to where she had been standing, but she wasn't there anymore. After briefly scanning the crowd that had gathered to listen to the Kaitou Kid news special, Kaito spotted her. Aoko was walking away to her home, her eyes cast down. Kaito bit his lip in worry and began pushing his way out of the crowd to catch up to her.

"Hey Aoko, don't worry about it," he said gently, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder. "I promise, nothing will happen to your father's job."

"I hate him," Aoko whispered as they took a shortcut through an alleyway. "I really hate him." She suddenly dropped her satchel, grabbed Kaito's collar and yelled "I hate Kaitou Kid!" She buried her face into his uniform and began to cry, her sobs shaking them both.

"I-it'll be okay," Kaito murmured, softly and awkwardly stroking her hair. "I-I promise he won't cause you trouble tonight." Aoko nodded and let go of his shirt. Kaito picked up her satchel and carried it for her.

"Thank you," Aoko said as they walked down the alley. "I'm sorry that I had that breakdown, but I will always hate Kaitou Kid!"

Before she could blink, she had been pinned against the brick wall of a building. Kaito had pressed her firmly there, securing her arms in his iron grip. He leaned in close to her with a stern expression.

"Aoko, answer me truthfully. Would you hate _me_ if _I_ were Kaitou Kid?" he asked quietly. Aoko's breath came in uneven gasps in reaction to the sudden movement. She had never seen that icy blue fire burn in his eyes.

"N-no," she stammered. "I wouldn't. You're my best friend. No matter how much you annoy me, I can't hate you. I can chase you with a mop, threaten you with fish, whatever, but I can never hate you. Even if you were Kaitou Kid."

Kaito studied her a moment longer, analyzing her eyes. He then released her and shook his head. "I'm sorry for that, Aoko. I just don't like seeing you so… seriously mad. Did I hurt you?" Concern shadowed his voice.

"Nah, I'm okay," Aoko answered him, a little shaken if anything. She laughed at Kaito's worried expression. "Since when are you such a considerate gentleman?"

Kaito looked at her in surprise. "Eh? Oh, my father told me to always remain a perfect gentleman in any situation. A poker face, you know? Like if you get a good or bad hand in a game, you can't let your reaction give it away," he told her. He handed her back her satchel as they reached the Nakamori residence. But all Kaito could think of on rest of the way home, and as he donned the white suit, hat and mantle, was the sight of Aoko's tear-streaked face gazing up at him.

"CATCH HIM!" Ginzo Nakamori roared at the dumbfounded policemen gathered around Beika Museum. It was just after midnight and KID had broken into the museum. But he hadn't found the Starlight Tears yet. It wasn't in the display case; the jewel there was a decoy. The real one was being guarded by someone on the roof, and it was not going to be taken by Kaitou Kid.

"Truly, they only got one guard?" Kaitou asked, amused. He faced the guard, who was shrouded in the shadows. "If I may, who are you?"

"Nakamori. Aoko Nakamori," she hissed through clenched teeth. Regardless of what his father taught him, KID lost his poker face. His mouth dropped open and he froze, speechless. He quickly recovered, though, and replaced his shock with a charming smile.

"Ah, I see, you must be Nakamori-keibu's daughter," he managed to pull off pleasantly. "I haven't ever seen you around heists before; what drove you to be the security guard today?"

"I don't see how it matters to you, but you are endangering my father's job, and that just doesn't settle with me," Aoko answered coldly. "I have to do something to stop you."

Kaitou Kid's grin lingered on his face unwaveringly but he felt his heart crush. "Well, lovely to meet you, but I must be taking the magnificent gem you clutch in your hands."

"Stay away!" Aoko shouted, thrusting a finger at him. "Despicable thief!"

"Oh dear," KID worried. He appeared in front of Aoko in the blink of an eye and took her hand. "It's unwise to insult and point, for three fingers point to yourself." He kissed her hand, ignoring the crazy wavering of his heart caused by the idea of kissing Aoko. But instead of swooning like all the other women he'd ever done that to, she jerked her hand away and actually tried to slap him with it. Kaitou Kid ducked out of the path of the blow just in time but the blow hit his hat and knocked it off, taking the monocle down too. And Aoko Nakamori became the first person to see Kaitou Kid, International Criminal 1412's face completely unmasked while in costume. Kaito, Kaito Kuroba.

In a split second KID turned, pulled out a new hat, and put it on since his original was at Aoko's feet, and leaped off the roof. Aoko sank to her knees in shock; she couldn't move. Finally, after what seemed like the passing of the 21st century, she picked up the white silk top hat before her and stared at it. She still held the Starlight Tears jewel.

"Kaitou Kid," she mumbled, turning the hat around in her hands. "Criminal 1412, Kaitou Kid." Slowly Aoko walked back downstairs into the museum to turn the jewel in to her father.

"WHAT?! Y-you stopped Kaitou Kid?!" Ginzo yelped as his daughter held out the Starlight Tears to him. "How did—? What the—? Oh my—," he spluttered. "Are you positive that it was really Kaitou Kid?"

Aoko showed him the hat and walked away with it in her hands. Ginzo didn't say anything, and he didn't follow her. No one did, because tears of fury were running down her cheeks.

"I'm coming!" Kaito called as he bounded down the stairs to his front door. His mother was away on a trip to Yokohama. Who would visit him at 8 a.m. on a Saturday?

"You left this behind," Aoko said simply as the door opened. She handed him the white silk hat and turned away, heading back to her own house. Kaitou was frozen momentarily, but he shook his head.

"Ah, wait!" he blurted, and grabbed Aoko's hand. She whirled around to face him and Kaito flushed. What did he want to say?

"A-Aoko, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I couldn't! I never meant to endanger your father's job or cause trouble, but I do it for my old man because—,"

"Shut it," Aoko growled, cutting off Kaito's babbling. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. The impact knocked Kaito backwards and they both fell down into the Kuroba household. They broke apart and Aoko immediately clambered off of Kaito, blushing furiously. Kaito sat up slowly.

"Ow," he complained, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the hard wooden floor. "Aoko, you're really vicious, you know that?"

"BaKaito, you just made me very angry," Aoko answered, her face still a brilliant crimson shade.

"Aho-ko, you got mad, so you attack me?" Kaito teased her. Aoko sighed.

"I'm going to the police station," she replied curtly. "Kaitou Kid just stole my heart." She stuck her tongue out at Kaito.

Kaito laughed. "Yeah? Well you just stole _my_ first kiss. I should be pressing charges for assault!" he said indignantly. He pushed himself off the ground. "So, do you still hate Kaitou Kid?" he asked innocently.

Aoko thought for a moment. "Yes," she said. Kaito looked shocked and hurt. "What, really? Why?"

"Yes, Kaitou Kid is the source of all my problems," Aoko explained, and she ruffled Kaito's already disastrous hair.

"Hey, don't mess me up," Kaito moaned. "I may be a thief, but I still am a gentleman, remember? A gentleman thief."

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_Just had to rid myself of a fluffy moment that occured to me at about 2a.m. a few months ago. I wrote this then, but I just dug it up now, so I posted it! is shot_


End file.
